A report by Acting Public Protector, Kholeka Gcaleka, has cleared the Bellville Magistrate’s Court of any improper action regarding the death of a Cape Town woman, who was allegedly killed by her former partner, last year.
Gcaleka says according to investigations, Altecia Kortje was indeed provided with the necessary forms to apply for a protection order, but had decided not to hand them in. She was speaking in Cape Town, where she released a number of reports.
Kortje’s case made news headlines last year when it was reported that she had been turned away from the court. After an intensive investigation, the Public Protector could find no evidence to support the claim.
“It could not be established with certainty why Ms Kortje decided to not wait to be assisted with submitting application after having completed the form but to return home. The evidence does not support the allegation she was turned away or not assisted by the Bellville MC. There was thus no improper conduct or maladministration on the part of the court,” Gcaleka said.
Gcaleka visited Kortje’s family on Tuesday to communicate her findings.
Gcaleka releases a number of investigation reports in the video below:
Scooter ambulances
The Acting Public Protector also released her finding on the scooter ambulances that were purchased by the Eastern Cape Health Department. She has found that the department had breached provisions of the Public Finance Management Act, Treasury regulations and the Constitution when it awarded the contract for the procurement of scooter ambulances in June 2020.
Gxaleka recommended that the Acting Head of the Eastern Cape Health Department take disciplinary action against responsible officials within 90 days of the release of her report.
“The MEC for Health must oversee to ensure that appropriate steps are taken in respect of disciplinary action against any decision-makers regardless of position across all the ranks of seniority who were involved in and were responsible for the non-compliance with the provisions of the SCM policy and treasury regulations pertaining to the procurement of the scooter ambulances,” she said.
Western Cape MEC for Transport and Public Works, Bonginkosi Madikizela, was found to have wilfully made misleading statements about Good Party member, Brett Herron in 2019.
Madikizela had told the provincial legislature that projects Herron had initiated when he was Mayoral Committee in the City of Cape Town had been halted. The Public Protector found that Madikizela knew that these statements were false and ruled that Premier Alan Winde take relevant action.
